Recoil check



Dc; 9, 1930. M. B. LUCKER- 1,784,739

RECOIL CHECK Filed July 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 9, 1930. M. B. LUCKER 1,784,739

- RECOIL CHECK Filed July 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 9, 1930 we e S S PA OFF CE MILLARD BOWEN LUOKER, on BENTON. ITARBQR, TMI GHIIGAN, "lemma, T0, AUTO SPECIALTIES MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA Escort cirnc xff Application am July 2,1928. Serial No. 290,020;

The. present invention relates to devices for absorbing and checking the recoil of vehicle springs and the like and has for its object to produce a device ofthis kind that shall be simple and rugged in construction, 'efiicient in operation and capable ofs' being quickly and easily adjusted to secure the desiredamount of resistance, both initially and to take up wear. i

of a rotatable drum connected in any usual and suitable manner so thatit turns in one direction when the spring with which it is associated is compressed and in the op osite directionwhen the springexpa'nds. 0- operating with the drum is a brake band controlled in a simple and novel manner so as to operate most efficiently; The ends of the band are connected to a swinging anchor which, when it moves in one directionftightens the band Whereas, when it swings in the opposite direction, the bandis loosened: A

spring acts on the anchoring member so as to tend constantly to swing it in a direction to tighten the band. .This movement of the anchoring member is limited by an adjusta ble stop which determines the degreeto which the band might be tightened. The braking action does not depend upon the spring, how. ever, because its function is to hold the band against the drum'with a sufficient degree of pressure that the band will grip the drum and cause the drum positively to swing the anchoring member and bring about the desired brakingpressure by causing the band to pull the anchoring member in the proper direction. 1

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and o fits objects and advantages, reference may behad to the following detailed description taken in connection, with 4 the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device arranged in accordance with my invention, mounted on the frame of an automobile; Fig. 9. is a section on line 2 2 of Fig; 1, on an enlarged scale; Fig. 3 is a side view of the In carrying out-my invention, I make use device,-on the same scale as Fig. 2, the cover.

being removed and fragments of the eyes connecting the-band to the anchor being broken away; Fig. 4 is asection taken approximately on line 44 of Fig. 1; and Fig. -5 is'a top plan viewof the device with cover or casing shown-in section. 1

Referring to the drawings, '1 represents-a base that may be in theform of a comparatively flat plate." Projecting from one side of the base is a post 2. A'brake drum 3is rotatably' supported on the post. arrangement "shown, the inner end or side of the hub 4 of the brake drum bears against a flat face 5 onthe base at theinner end of the post. The bearing opening in the drum vdoes not extend entirely through the hub of the-drum, but it i's in the form of a socket6 whose depth'is slightly greater than the length of the post, so thatthe free end of the latter will not bottom in the socket. The hub on the drum is continued in'the outward direction'intheform of a heavyboss 7. A heavy screw 8, having on the outer end a head 9, extends through the boss? and into the post. In order to lock the screw against accidental turning when the device is in'use,

Iinsert through the rear side of the base a screw 10 that abuts against the end of the screw,8.' v a Y Partially surroundingthe drum is a brake band consisting preferably of a' flexible steel the v In'the. v

strap 12ylined'with athick layer 13 of leather 7 or other material suitable for. brake linings. Connected to the ends of the straps are terminal members 14f and 15 in the form of shackles- The straps are preferably secured to the terminal members by pa'ssingthe ends through suitableopenings 16 in the shanks or stems of said members,'and then folding the ends back so that they overlie sections of the strap inwardly from the terminal mem bers, as indicated at '17 and 18. The sections 17 and 18are then welded to the underlying main portions of the strap.

The shackles are pivotally connected to'a swinging anchor 20. This anchor is in the form of a short heavy bar lying beyond the periphery of the drum and more or less radial to the drum.- It is pivotally supported'by a pin 21 passing through the same and into the base at the end farthest removed from the drum. As a matter of fact, the pin 21 may be a cylindrical lug or trunnionintegral with and projecting from the base. The body portion of the anchor fits into the two terminal,

members or shackles and is pivotally connected to the same by means of pins 22 and 23. The pin 22 passes through the anchor in the vicinity of its free end, while the pin 23 is located between the pins 21 and '22, In other words, theradius from the pivotal axis of the anchor to the pin 22 is greater than the corresponding radius to the pin 23.

The result of this structure is that if the anchor is swung in either direction, the pin 22, and therefore one end of the brake band,

travels faster and fartherthan does'the pin .23 andthe other end of: the brake band. When the anchor swingsin the clockwise direction,-as viewed in F ig. 3, theresultis to loosen the band on the drum, because the up- ;per end moves upwardly fasterthandoes .the lower end. If the anchor is swung inthe counterclockwise direction, the upper part of the band is pulled down faster than the lower portion drops, therefore theband will tighten on the drum. It Will thus be seen'that if the band be held against the drum with some-initial pressure so as to produce more ;or less frictional resistance to rotation ;of the drum,

a rotation of the drum in either direction will cause the anchorto swing or tend to swing through the agency ofthe brake band itself. In other words, ifthe drum is rotated in the clockwise direction as-viewed in Fig. 3, it will cause the under port-ionof the band to pull on the pin 23 so as to swing the anchor downward. Consequently there will be a closing action of the band upon the drum. WVhenthe drum is turned in the counterclockwise directioinas viewed in 3,the upper partofthe band comes into playto pull the from the recoiloheck becausethe drum will be turning in the counterclockwise direction as v ewed 111 F g. 8.

'However, when the spring starts to expand or rebound, such movement w ll result in a turning of the brake drum in the clockwise direction, causing the brake band to be tightened upon the drum and retarding its rotation and consequently retarding and checking the rebound movement of the spring.

Unless some controlling means are provided, the brake band .can be drawn so tightly against the drum as to look it instead of simply retarding its turning movement. I have therefore provided a stop to limit the swinging movement of the anchor in a direction to bring about a braking action. In

justed for vehicles of varoius weights and,

springs of variouskinds. Furthermore, when wearitakes place in the band, so that the braking action diminishes, the stopmay-be adjusted so as to increase the braking action againrto the point 'at which it originally stood. I t r I I j The braking action results through-the driving of the swinging anchor by means of .thebrakeband itself and does'not depend upon'spring means or the like. However, it is'necessary that there be initially sufiicient .frictionbetween the band and the drum to cause the band to be gripped andlstart the anchor in a' direction to tighten the band, whenever a braking action is required. If therewelfe initially sufficient traction betweenthe drum and the brake band, wear in the band,.and other causes, might result in a suflicient looseness of the band to prevent the device, from functioning properly as a brake. I have thereforeprovided a small spring whose purpose is at all times to keep the brakebandunder a small tension. "In the arrangement shown, Ihave provided the baseof the device with a lug 29 arranged on the opposite sideofthe anchor from that on which the lug '27 is located. Between the lug 29. and the side of the anchor, near the free end of the latter, is a coil spring 30 under initial compression. This spring tends constantly to force the anchor down against the stop, thus insuring that the band will; be held taut. To provide for adjusting the compression of the spring, one end of the spring may rest against the inner end of a screw 31 screwed into'the lug 29 and provided with a gui-definger'32 extending inwardly into the spring. The mechanism just described may be enclosed inany suitable way. In the arrangement shown, there is a pan-shaped sheet metal casing 35 fitting over the main -portion of the base andover the top and bottom form of my invention, 1 do not desire tobe limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a device of the character described, a rotatable drum, a stationary pivot, a rigid pivot and having its free end extending toward the drum, a brake band on the drum, and a connection between each end of the band and the anchor at a point between the pivotal axis of the anchor and the drum, the connection between one end of the band and he anchor being nearer the drum than the connection between the other end of the band and the anchor.

2. In a device of the character described, a rotatable drum, a stationary pivot, a rigid swinging anchor mounted at one end on said pivot and having its free end extending toward the drum, a brake band on the drum, a connection between each end of the band and the anchor at a point between the pivotal axis of the anchor and the drum, the connection between one end of the band and the anchor being nearer the drum than the connection between the other end of the band and the anchoig and a spring tending to hold the anchor in the position in which the band is drawn most tightly. I

3. In a device of the character described, rotatable drum, a stationary pivot, a rigid swinging anchor mounted at one end on said pivot and having its free end extending toward the drum, a brake band on the drum, a connection between each end of the band and the anchor at a point between the'pivotal axis of the anchor and the drum, the connection between one end of the band and the anchor being nearer the drum that the connection between the other end of the band and the anchor, a spring tending to hold the anchor in the position in which the band is drawn most tightly against the drum, and an adjustable stop to limit. the movement of the anchor in the direction in which the spring tends to swing it.

4. In a device of the character described, a base, a drum rotatably mounted on the base, an anchor member lying outwardly from the drum. and approximately radial thereto, a pivotal connection between the outer end of said member and the base to permit said member to swing a'bout' an axis parallel with the axis otrotation of the drum, a brake band extending over the drum, a connection between one end of the band and'the inner end of said member, means connecting the other end of the band to said member at a point between'its pivotal axis and point of connection of the opposite end of the band, an adjustable stop to limit the swinging movement of the anchor member in one direction, anda spring tending constantly to hold said member against the stop.

5. In a device of the character described, a rotatable drum, a brake band extending over the drum, a pivotally-supported anchoring means connected to the ends of said band in such a manner that upon a rotation of the drum in one d rection one end of the band swinging anchor mounted at one end on said exerts a pull on the anchoring means to draw the other end of the hand against the drum, whileupon rotation of the drum in the opposite direction the'latter end of the band exerts a pull on the anchoring means in a direction to loosen the band on the drum, an adjustable stop to limit the swinging movement of the anchoring means in a direction to tighten the band, and a spring tending constantly to hold the anchoringmeans against said stop.

6. In a device of the character described, a flexible steel brake band, terminal members each having an opening therethrough near one end, the end portions ofthe band being passed through said openings and folded back upon the band inwardly from the terminal members, and the overlying portions of the band in contact with each other MILLARD B. LUCKER. 

